A Witness of Words

For 20 years, I worked in what I would call the "secular world." As part of this, I felt a burden of not pushing my faith onto the people around me. Not everyone would agree with my tactics, I'm sure, but I didn't play Christian music on my radio when other people were in the room. I made sure that the lab Christmas tree used "secular" ornaments. I shared about my faith when asked, but not when I wasn't asked. I often found myself in "cultural exchange" mode -- I would ask questions about someone else's faith and beliefs; in turn, they would ask me about mine, and I would share.

My Christian witness in this secular world was more about my actions than my words. It was about treating everyone who came into the lab as a Child of God, even if I didn't call him or her that. It was about being helpful and caring, even if no one knew why. Don't be fooled by what I say; I didn't do this all the time or flawlessly at all. My witness of action was never perfect or even very satisfactory, but I did try.

I've been working in my new job for not quite 2 months. We had an office meeting today. It began with a devotional and a prayer. As we prayed, I was once again struck by how blessed I am. How many people are able to pray with their co-workers? It's foreign to someone whose only witness at work for 20 years was a half-hearted witness of friendliness.